About 14,000 measurements of the three major suprathermal ion species, H+, O+, and He++, in Earth's plasma sheet are compared for differences in the ion fluxes between the central plasma sheet and the plasma sheet boundary layer as well as between magnetically quiet and disturbed intervals. The H+ and He++ spectra are nearly identical in both regions as well as during quiet and disturbed times, except for the absolute flux levels. The O+ spectra are always considerably harder. The spectral shapes of all three ion species and their relative abundances do not change between central plasma sheet and plasma sheet boundary layer; there is merely a difference in the flux levels. Substorms affect the suprathermal ions in the central plasma sheet in the same way as those in the plasma sheet boundary layer: their spectra get considerably harder, but the relative abundances of the higher mass ions decrease. The ratios of the ion fluxes during disturbed intervals to those during quiet times are best ordered in energy per charge and nearly identical in both regions. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1990